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Owning Mahowny (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
25 September 2003 (Argentina)
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Tagline:
To some it's a game. To others it's a habit. But to Dan Mahowny -- beating the odds is everything more
Plot:
A bank manager (Hoffman) with: (a) a gambling problem and (b) access to a multi-million dollar account gets into a messy situation. Based on the story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins
&
4 nominations
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User Comments:
An Actor's Film
more (67 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Philip Seymour Hoffman | ... | Dan Mahowny | |
| Minnie Driver | ... | Belinda | |
| John Hurt | ... | Victor Foss | |
| Maury Chaykin | ... | Frank Perlin | |
| Ian Tracey | ... | Det. Ben Lock | |
| Sonja Smits | ... | Dana Selkirk | |
| K.C. Collins | ... | Bernie (as Chris Collins) | |
| Jason Blicker | ... | Dave Quinson | |
| Vince Corazza | ... | Doug (as Vincent Corazza) | |
| Roger Dunn | ... | Bill Gooden | |
| Eric Fink | ... | Psychologist | |
| Mike 'Nug' Nahrgang | ... | Parking Attendant | |
| Tanya Henley | ... | Teller | |
| Brona Brown | ... | Teller | |
| Philip Craig | ... | Briggs |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
La double vie de Mahowny (Canada: French title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for language and some sexuality.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
104 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The movie's budget was about ten million dollars, which was also roughly the amount that the real person Dan Mahowney is based on stole from the bank he worked for.
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Goofs:
Continuity: After flying from Toronto the detective is on the phone seeking information on the flight of 7956-Whiskey, the presumed tail number of the jet but in the next scene Mahowny is shown leaving the plane and its tail number is C-FHGC. This indicates a Canadian registered aircraft rather than the American registered aircraft the detective was asking about (which would also have been prefixed with the letter N).
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Quotes:
Dan Mahowny:
How much for the bags?
Car Rental Girl: They're free for customers.
Dan Mahowny: Great, can I have one?
Car Rental Girl: Well, you're not a customer, so...
Dan Mahowny: Okay... how much for the bags?
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Car Rental Girl: They're free for customers.
Dan Mahowny: Great, can I have one?
Car Rental Girl: Well, you're not a customer, so...
Dan Mahowny: Okay... how much for the bags?
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Daily Show: (2003-01-09)" (2003)
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For anyone in Dan Mahowny's life who cared to look, all the signs were there. Bad hair, disheveled clothes, no overcoat in Toronto in winter, empty apartment and a '74 Dodge Dart. He should have had more but did not. He had everything the addict needs - a source of income, a source of his addiction and several "enablers" in his life.
Owning Mahowny tells the famous and true story of a mid-level bank manager at the CIBC, who in the early 80s, stole $10,000,000 from several high profile clients, and a few non-existent ones. All the funds were lost in Atlantic City and Vegas. But this is not a con movie, it is far more clever than that. It is a detailed and devastating study of a gambling addiction.
We all know that Mahowny will get caught, but how and when. He has no record, is not a criminal and he is well respected at his job. What this film does almost better than anything is reveals how the day to day events allows the protagonist to prolong his inevitable collapse.
As the film progresses, Mahowny becomes more and more paranoid. Every open file, every meeting and every phone call represents his potential downfall. Note how he maneuvers through key meetings and audits. But he is not afraid of getting caught, he is afraid of losing his lifeline to the thrill of the bet.
You just simply cannot say enough about both the leads in this film. Philip Seymour Hoffman is spot on perfect as Mahowny, focused on the next hand, rarely raising his eyes to the camera. John Hurt is also wonderful as the malevolent casino boss who is all too happy to take Mahowny's money and not care where it came from.
Had this film received better backing, Hoffman may well have received his first Oscar nomination. As it stands, you will have to seek this out on DVD. It is an edgy and well directed study in to the mind of an addict. Not perfect, but I loved this from start to finish. ***1/2 out of ****.